The River Flow
by AnimeFreak049
Summary: AU. Princess Lucy Heartfilia is the daughter of the Roman emperor Jude Heartfilia. She is sent by her father to Alexandria , the capital of the Egyptian empire. There she will meet a lot of interesting people , between them the son of the Pharaoh , Natsu. An arranged marriage , a plot to take over the throne and an enemy kingdom. What will happen in the end?
1. Chapter 1 (03-20 12:05:50)

**_AUTHORS NOTE: erm hello , this is my first story and it will probably be terrible and awkward , but I still hope you enjoy!!!_**

"I present you princess Lucy , daughter of the great Roman emperor Jude!"

Lucy looked around nervous as the messenger announced her presence. She was located at a room without a ceiling. Tall marble pillars rose from the ground , and hanged between them light curtains , moving from the soft breeze.

On her left side there was a set of stairs leading to the Nile. Girls bathed with pieces of white fabric framing their bodies.

"Princess I welcome you to Egypt. It is a pleasure to have you here."

Lucy looked away from the river. In a corner , pillows were placed forming a sitting space. There sat a man , close to the age of her father , and beside him a younger man .The older man had dark red hair , tan skin and bright yellow eyes. He smiled at Lucy and motioned her to take a seat. _That must be Pharaoh Igneel._

As she took a seat she observed the younger man. He had a head of dark hair , dark blue eyes and was paler than his father.

"How was your trip?" Igneel asked.

"It was mostly peaceful." Lucy answered and placed her hands on her lap , smoothing her toga. She observed her surroundings and the people around her. It was very different from Rome. Everyone here had khol lined eyes and were extremely tan. _Must be the sun._

"Very well. How is Jude?" Igneel said.

"Father is well and very preoccupied with his duties as emperor. As a token of your hospitality and an apology for not being able to be here , he sends a gift." Lucy motioned her hand and the curtains opened bringing in four guards , each pair holding between them a prisoner.

"My father says they shall be slaves under your orders." Lucy added.

She didn't want any of this. No one deserved to be treated as an object but no one objected him.

As the guards brought the slaves in , a blue haired woman and a black haired man , the woman spitted before the Pharaoh's feet."Juvia will never bow down to you." she scowled.

Igneel let out a rumbling laugh. He was laughing so hard that tears fell from his eyes."This one is feisty!"he laughed.

"We will see if you will think the same thing when Juvia cuts your throat open!" Juvia growled. The guards pulled on Juvia's chains tighter as if afraid that the threat might come true. " Take them to the slaves master and have them positioned somewhere at the palace." Igneel ordered the guards. " And make sure the lady is well branded." he added.

The guards bowed at him and dragged the slaves inside.

"Sorry for this commotion princess. Slaves can be sometimes... hard to handle with." Igneel said beaming. " How unthoughtful of me! I haven't introduced you to my son." he motioned at the dark haired man , who bowed his head. " This is Gray my second in line. He is not my biological son , as I am sure you have noticed, but I love him never the less." he said and patted Gray's shoulder. "As for the first one , I haven't got the slightest of his location. He is probably hunting or fooling around." After Igneel finished talking there was an uncomfortable silence between them.

"Um.. I don't intend to sound rude , but I would like to rest. Our trip has been really exhausting so far. " Lucy said refusing to look up. "Of course princess. Cana will show you to your rooms." Then a brown haired woman with a silly smile came out from behind a curtain. Lucy got up and bid her goodbyes to the court and followed Cana inside.

The palace was huge. It was a building made out of stone and marble , with lots of windows and wall drawings. After taking turns and climbing stairs they finally arrived at Lucy's quarters. Her room was huge. As the rest of the palace its wall were decorated with drawings and tapestries of previous pharaohs and gods. A huge balcony took up most of one wall . Curtains were swaying with the soft breeze. Lucy ran and jumped onto her bed . It was like a dream with its soft linen sheets and plushy pillows . The room also had a golden table with a marble bowl and golden vase for washing in the morning.

Lucy's eyes slowly closed and she sleep took over her.

When Lucy woke up she had no idea what time it was. In fact she was in such a daze that she momentarily forgot where she was. A thin blanket was covering her. _Cana must have come in while I was sleeping._ At the far edge of the bed was what looked like to be a dress. It was white and had gold threat stitched at the edges. It came with a gold neck piece adorned with blood red rubies. Finally a pair of leather sandals completed the outfit. Lucy took the bell from her bedside table and gave it a twirl. Cana came in moments later with the same smile from before.

"What can I do for you princess?" Cana asked. "Please , call me Lucy. What is the purpose of this dress?" Lucy motioned to the dress. "Well the Pharaoh would like to join him and his family for dinner. He told me to help you get ready." Cana smirked.

"Um where can I take a bath?" Lucy asked. " You can either bathe at the Nile or at the bathhouse. Since the sun is setting I would suggest the bathhouse. It is warmer." Cana answered with a smile. "Then lead the way Cana." Lucy sported the same smile. Cana headed towards a chest and took out pieces of fabric for drying and bottles of essence.

They both made their way to the bathhouse.

By the time she and Cana arrived outside the dining hall , Lucy was so nervous she was trembling. Horrible thoughts were swarming her head. _What if they don't like me? What if I trip and fall? What if I make a mess?_

Cana put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. Lucy took a deep breath and calmed her nerves . The doors opened and she faced a large dining room


	2. Chapter 2

The dining room had a long table with chairs surrounding it. At the walls rested cushions and pillows accompanied with short tables, probably for lounging after the meal. Guards were positioned at each side of the doors , masks hiding their faces. Lucy noticed that while the table was fairly large , only four chairs were occupied. At the head sat Igneel , on his right a pink haired man. _What an odd color._ Next to the pink haired man sat Gray and opposite of him a redhead.

"Princess , welcome. Come and sit by my side. " Igneel said. He motioned the chair to his left , the one opposite from the pink haired man. His head was looking down. She made her way to her seat and noticed that the readhead woman was arguing with Gray in hushed tones. "Now that we are all here I would like to make the introductions. You have already met Gray. This is " he motioned at the redhead " Erza. She is like a daughter to me and also the army general. She has excellent combat skills and has won me many battles."

The woman now known as Erza extended her hand forward. Lucy took it expecting a handshake but instead Erza pulled her into a tight hug. "It's so nice to finally meet you Princess." Erza said. Lucy smiled at her. "Please there is no need for formalities. I would like everyone to call me Lucy." Igneel cleared his throat and the attention returned to him. " And this is my first born son , Natsu and official heir to the throne."

Said man decided to lift his head at last and Lucy found herself lost into a pair of onyx eyes . He was handsome. Except his pink hair and onyx eyes he was tan and also well built. Lucy noticed that he had a scar at the side of his neck. The prince bowed his head as a sign of acknowledgment and turned his eyes downwards again. Igneel ordered the servants to bring in the food. Almost immediately Lucy's mouth watered from the delicious smells that came from the dishes. After she stuffed herself with fish and wine she wiped her mouth with a napkin and let a sigh of happiness.

"So Lucy , Jude has told me that are very intelligent and that you manage some affairs at the palace." Igneel said , sipping his wine. " Father didn't have a son so he trained his daugter to have at least the knowledge of one." Memories of her spending hours and hours of reading books about astrology , trade , strategy and political affairs came back to her , flooding her mind. "He told me before I left that if you need any help we are glad to help."

"Well you see because of the Nile we can trade with the kingdoms beyond the sea and with the caravans we trade with closer kingdoms. The Nile also provides fertility to the grounds and water to the crops. But when summer comes the Nile dries out." Igneel said. "What can we do about that period of time regarding the trade?"

"Before the draught you can send your ships to the cities that face the sea. That way the trade will continue. After it's finished the ships come back to cities like Alexandria and wait until the Nile is flooded." Lucy answered. Igneel was looking at her smiling and nodding.

"But what will become of the enemies?" a voice said. Lucy surprised turned to see to whom the voice belonged. Natsu was staring at her with a slightly raised eyebrow. "We have the Nubians down south and nomad races surrounding us. What if they decide to attack our trade ships or caravans. Everything will be over for us then." Natsu said calmly. "What will _we_ do then?".

"Natsu has a point." Gray added. "We need to secure strong allies in order for the plan to work efficiently." Gray concluded. "A marriage." Lucy observed. "A marriage with another kingdom or empire would do."

"That is already planned." Natsu grunted and leaned back on his chair. "I am tired , I am retiring for the night." Natsu stood and made his way to the double doors.

"Marriage is a sensitive subject for Natsu as he is to be engaged to the Babylonian princess in one month's time." Igneel began. "He doesn't want to so he is trying to find ways on bailing the arrangement."

"Oh I shouldn't have mentioned it yet then." Lucy felt a wave of tiredness and excused herself for the night.

"Cana please escort Lucy back to her chambers." Igneel said. Cana nodded and Lucy stepped forward towards the doors. As soon as she was out she headed to her chambers. When she arrived she removed her clothes and slipped under the light covers. She made a mental note to apologize to Natsu tomorrow. She was so tired that when she closed her eyes sleep instantly overtook her.


	3. Chapter 3

That night Lucy's dreams guided her back home , to the beautiful gardens , the Pantheon where she prayed , the Colloseum with its theater performances. She could feel an empty space in her heart. She was homesick. The door opening brought her back to reality. Cana walked in carrying a vase full of something. She hadn't noticed that Lucy was awake. " Good morning Cana." Said woman almost dropped the vase out of fear. " Lucy , I didn't know you were awake." She started emptying the contents of the vase to the plater used for washing. "Miss Ezra said you could spend the rest of the day with her." Lucy got up and stretched. " I would be happy to." The weather outside was sunny and hot. She would opt for a cooler dress today.

After she got ready she headed to Erza's quarters. Her being a general meant that she had power and influence around here. Lucy knocked on the door and waited for the redhead to answer. A few seconds later Erza came out of her room closing the door quickly behind her. It was almost as if she didn't want Lucy to get in. "Good morning Lucy." Erza's face was flushed. _Weird._ " Good morning to you too Erza." On their way to the dining hall the girls made light conversation about the weather , clothes and if Lucy has been enjoying her stay. By now the color on Erza's cheeks had subdued. Once they arrived they were greated by a cheerful Igneel , a grumpy Natsu and a poker faced Gray. After everyone was full , Lucy excused herself to go get a book she wanted to show to Erza. Having found what she searched for she headed to the dining hall. The door was opened a tiny bit. She lifted her hand to push it open when she heard angry voices coming from the inside.

"You will marry the princess Natsu!" Igneel shouted. "I don't want to marry someone I don't know just for the sake of my kingdom! I want to marry from love father , not for political benefits." Natsu's voice was filled with anger and raw emotion. "If you don't marry the princess Natsu , Egypt will be ruined." Igneel stated. " It won't father. We have a great army and with the advice the Roman princess gave us , we will thrive again at trade." Natsu tried to convince his father. "You will marry princess Lissana and that is the final word! She will be visiting in one month's time. You better treat her well." Igneel sounded exhausted. Lucy was so absorbed in the conversation that she didn't hear the steps coming from inside. The next moment an angry Natsu came face to face with her. "It is not polite to eavesdrop you know." Lucy blushed from embarrassment."I-I didn't mean to." she awkwardly looked at his face. He was rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Um...If you want to talk about it I can be a very good listener." she stated shyly. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. After a while he grinned." I will have to take up on that offer sometime.. Princess." He then turned and left her alone at the hallway. Lucy's cheeks heated up from the way _he_ had called her princess. Feeling really happy she went to find Erza.

After an exhausting day spent with Erza , she learned all she could about the palace, the city and its people. While heading to her room , Lucy heard angry voices. She slowly made her way to the corner , trying to get a better look. Taking small steps she peaked through.

"I told you to be more careful!" a male voice said. "You won't tell Juvia what to do anymore." a female answered. Lucy stifled a gasp. Prince Gray was dragging Juvia along the hallway. "You are a slave Juvia! You don't have any power!" Gray shouted. "Maybe not political but Juvia can kill!" Juvia pointed her finger to his chest. "Besides why do you care about Juvia? You abandoned me long ago!" Juvia shouted. She was pounding her fists to Gray's chest. In a swift motion Gray grabbed her wrists , pushed her to the wall and kissed her hard.

Lucy couldn't contain her gasp. The couple immediately turned to her direction. A hand silenced her whimper as someone dragged her away from the couple.

"Now didn't I tell it is bad to eavesdrop , _princess_?"

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter but I have some school projects that I need to finish before school starts again * _I'm on break*_.

Also I would like to thank you for reading my story and those who actually reviewed. If you see a mistake feel free to correct me as English is not my mother tongue.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Before I start I would like to apologize for my absence these past couple of months. I had lost my inspiration for this story and didn't know where to go with it. But now I am determined to finish this project. So I would like to thank all of you who stayed and waited for another chapter. I hope you enjoy.

Natsu dragged Lucy with him away from the couple in the first room he saw. Lucy was quiet the entire time and only opened her mouth to speak when they were in the room. The said room seemed to be a place for relaxing and provably playing. She spotted big comfy cushions and tables with board games on them. Natsu finally decided to break the silence. "So ,princess what were you doing eavesdropping?" Natsu was popped against a table with his arms crossed and an arrogant smirk on his face. "I wasn't eavesdropping. I was just passing by going to my chambers when I heard the commotion. And so I looked. I didn't know what was going to happen and if I did I wasn't planning on seeing it." Lucy huffed in annoyance. "What was happening anyway?" she added. Natsu took a few steps towards her. " I think it is wise to not participate in whatever unfinished business these two have." he said. Lucy wanted so badly to wipe that smirk off of his face.

"Anyway as I was delighted by this meeting , I would like to return to my chambers." Lucy said. " As you wish princess. Oh and wait for me tomorrow." he said. "And why would I do that?" Now it was Lucy who had crossed her arms.

"Because you shall be spending the day with me. Good night princess." he shouted as he were already out the door.

Lucy stood still in her place. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. That night Lucy's dreams were haunted by a pair of mischievous , onyx eyes.

The following morning Lucy woke up refreshed and found yet another dress for her. This one had a soft teal color and it was made out of a very thin fabric. This time she didn't spot any jewelry or elaborate hair pieces. As she was washing her face Lucy heard a soft knock on the door. Expecting the person knocking to be Cana she ran to the door and opened it. On the other side of the door stood Natsu sporting a warm smile.

"Good morning princess. I hope you slept well." Natsu passed by Lucy and went into the room. His torso was bare and he was wearing a light piece of white fabric around his hips. The only accessories were the gauntlets and a neck piece.

"I slept very well thank you." Lucy was flustered because her dressing gown consisted of a white silk dress that left little to the imagination. She quickly grabbed the teal dress and held it before her. "Would you be so kind as to explain the purpose of your visit ,prince Natsu, in the chambers of a girl , that hasn't been dressed yet?" she asked. Natsu turned around and looked at her. " We are spending the day together so I thought I might as well pick you up." he shrugged. "Now finish getting ready. A long day awaits us." he gave her a last smile and exited the room.

Lucy sighed. This man was going to cause a lot of trouble for her. She called Cana to help her get dressed and braid her hair. She wanted to look presentable before the prince. After she finished she opened the doors and found Natsu leaning in the opposite wall. When he noticed Lucy had walked out of her room , he scanned her up and down. He smiled with appreciation. Lucy felt her cheeks getting warmer.

"Come on then princess there are a lot of things I want to show you."

They were before the Nile. There was a boat waiting for them. Lucy couldn't believe it. She was going on a boat trip with Natsu. Alone. Natsu hoped to the boat easily. "Come along princess." He extended his hand so she could climb on the boat. When she put her right foot , the boat slightly moved , causing her to fall face first into Natsu's chest. "Easy there." he steadied her by holding her shoulders. His hands were warm where they touched. "Um thank you." she distanced herself and sat at the pillows that were located in the middle of the boat.

Natsu started to paddle and soon they were away from the shore. Lucy was magnetized by the colors of the water and the sky. She noticed a basket at the far end of the boat. "What is in there?" she asked Natsu. " Food in case we get hungry which we probably will." He was looking her straight in the eyes. Lucy felt herself blush."So , tell me a bit about yourself princess. Do you have any hobbies , are there specific things you like to do?" he asked curiously. " Well in my free time I like to create stories." she answered. She quickly averted her eyes. No one knew about her creations and why she just told Natsu , she had no idea. He had a confortable air around him. "Do you like reading then?" he asked. " I love reading." Natsu was taken aback by how beautiful Lucy looked when talking about something she loved. "What do you like to do Natsu?" Lucy asked. " I like fighting with Gray. We train almost every day together until Erza comes in and stops us." At the mention of Gray's name , Lucy recalled the image she had witnessed the night before. What had happened in the past between Gray and Juvia to result to that?

After minutes of paddling Natsu pulled the boat to a stop , in a place with shade. He took the basket and sat beside Lucy. " So what do you want to eat princess?" Natsu opened the box for her. Inside it had grapes, mangos , cut pieces of meat , some bread and cheese. For drinks it had wine and water. Natsu instantly took a piece of meat and swallowed it all. "If you eat so fast you might choke." Lucy said. For herself she chose some grapes and a slice of bread.

" I won't. I have been eating like that since I can remember myself." By then he had eaten two other pieces of meat , some cheese and now a mango. "You sure do have an appetite." Lucy noticed. Confortable silence ensued between them. Lucy took her time observing Natsu. The pink hair was what stood out the most. He had a very handsome face. High cheekbones and a straight , long nose. But for Lucy his eyes were the most beautiful. They were a deep onyx color , with flecks of gold if you noticed. Lucy hadn't realized that she was staring until Natsu laughed. "Like what you see princess?" he smirked. She blushed and averted her gaze.

"Come on Luce , it's time to go back." Natsu said and stood up. _Luce?_ Lucy also stood up and started putting the left over food in the basket. Natsu helped her get on to the boat. The trip back home was peaceful and the sun setting was beautiful. Lucy hadn't realized that spending time with Natsu would be so fun. She felt happy being with him and each time she felt her heart speed up. "We are here princess." Natsu told her. She had dozed off during the boat ride.

As Natsu was helping her get down , her foot caught somewhere and then she was falling.

Natsu was quick enough to wrap his arms around her waist to steady her. Lucy was breathing heavily and her heart was pounding. She and Natsu were only centimeters apart. Natsu looked at her with wide eyes and she noticed him swallowing hard.

"Hate to interrupt but father needs you Natsu." Instantly Natsu and Lucy separated amd turned to see Gray leaning against one of the pillars. He had a smug expression that made Lucy put even more distance between her and Natsu. "I am coming Gray." Natsu turned to Lucy , ducked down and kissed her forehead. "See you at dinner princess." Natsu said and smiled. Didn't smirk. _Smiled._ Lucy had become a puddle of nerves as she watched Natsu and Gray head inside , arguing.

As she was heading to her room , Lucy saw a person trying to balance a huge stack of scrolls. "Here , let me help you." she offered. Behind the scrolls was a girl looking about her age , with light blue hair , held behind by a gold headband.

"Ah thank you but you shouldn't have, I think I can probably manage them on my..." She took a good look at Lucy. "YOU ARE THE ROMAN PRINCESS?" the girl squealed. "Oh my gods , I was so excited to finally meet you!" the girl said. She tried freeing one of her hands for a handshake but ended up dropping the scrolls down. Lucy couldn't contain her laugh. The bluenette started laughing too. "I am Levy by the way." she extended out her hand. "Nice to meet you Levy. I am Lucy.". Lucy squeezed Levy's hand. Lucy helped Levy with the scrolls and asked where was she taking them. "Oh Erza needs them for some strategies." Levy answered. They both headed to the direction of Erza's chambers. After knocking and entering they saw Erza pacing back and forward.

Erza's room was bigger than Lucy's probably to fit the rows of armors she had lined up. "Oh thank you Levy for bringing these , and Lucy what brings you here?" Erza asked. " Well princess Lucy here helped me with the scrolls after they fell down." Levy explained. "Please don't call me princess , just Lucy will do." Lucy said and smiled at Levy. "So I will be seeing you at dinner I suppose." Erza said to the two of them. After they left Erza's chambers , they walked until they arrived at Lucy's chambers. They exchanged promises to see each other at dinner and parted ways. After Lucy headed in her room she decided to take a long relaxing bath. This was a long day.


End file.
